1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reading and writing information on a stand alone magnetic card or disk typically adapted for use in standard three and one-half inch computer floppy disk drives. In particular, the present invention is an improvement of the magnetic cards or disks disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,618 (Raviv), U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,099 (Smith) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,570 (Kowalski), the disclosure from each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Magnetic storage and retrieval systems using substantially circular rotatable magnetic disks are well known in the art and commonly used with modern personal computers. Such personal computers typically include floppy disk drives utilizing standard three and one-half inch floppy disks and/or five and one-quarter inch floppy disks. The standard three and one-half inch floppy disk is prevalent over the standard five and one-quarter inch floppy disk due to its smaller size and larger storage capacity. Both types of disks are typically housed in a rigid or semi-rigid outer shell functionally necessary to permit the floppy disk to rotate within the floppy disk drive of a computer and traverse read/write heads for data storage and retrieval.
Various types of storage media known in the art include magnetic strips or limited sections of magnetic media detachably affixed to cards of varying size and material. Such cards typically include credit cards, passkeys, and paper or cardstock fare cards with various devices available to read such cards. Specifically, Raviv (4,774,618) discloses a business card containing a detachable magnetic strip for storing information retrievable by a floppy disk drive of a personal computer. The magnetic strip may be detached from the business card and placed in a carrier for insertion into a floppy disk drive of a computer for information storage and retrieval. Alternatively, the entire business card may be placed in the carrier and inserted into a floppy disk drive of a computer for information storage and retrieval.
Smith (5,107,099) discloses a magnetic card reader where a credit card sized memory card contains a plastic base and a magnetic layer capable of magnetic recording and playback. An apparatus for reading and writing the credit card sized memory card contains a rotatable disk with an opening for the card whereby the card is inserted in the opening of the disk to be rotated with the disk to pass read/write heads for data manipulation.
Kowalski (4,297,570) discloses a strip for magnetically receiving information bonded to a paper substrate.
The prior art suffers from several disadvantages. Floppy disks typically have cumbersome and limiting physical characteristics requiring specific size and dimensions in order to be operable in the corresponding computer floppy disk drive. Further, a disk or group of disks with a rigid or semi-rigid outer shell are cumbersome if carried in a pocket or wallet, and have substantial weight thereby increasing the costs and burden of delivering, shipping or mailing the disks. Paper or plastic cards with a fixed magnetic medium have a storage capacity of a fraction of the capacity of a standard floppy disk (three and one-half inch or five and one-quarter inch disks) since large quantities of surface area of the paper or plastic cards do not contain fixed magnetic media and therefore cannot be utilized for storage. Further, the cards are unable to rotate in a standard three and one-half inch floppy disk drive, thereby impeding the potential of such cards for use in standard computer floppy disk drives.